First published in 1886, this is a story of two brothers that love each other the way David and Jonathan did. It's a story of the vanishing of the highland clans' way of life as their land is bought out by "lowlanders" richer than they. And it's the story of the eldest of those brothers, Alister Macruadh, a young chief who loves his clan with the love of a father and wants above all else to keep his land and keep his people safely with him. But this is a George MacDonald novel, which means it's often less novel than sermon and/or love letter to the beauty of his dear Scotland. What's Mine's Mine is considered one of his "romances," but the love story of Alister and Mercy is less important to MacDonald than all the aforementioned elements. (Still, it is a lovely element.)

Trying to explain my recently cultivated love for this author is a difficult thing. No fiction author would today get away with all his "be more like Jesus and this is how you do it!" asides. He was certainly a preacher first and a novelist second; even his greatest fan C.S. Lewis admits this. What he does in these books shouldn't work, especially for a modern reader like myself. Yet the beautiful old language and the open heart of the author, loving his reader as well as his characters right there on the page, are irresistible to me. I understand at last Lewis's description that MacDonald "baptized his imagination," both in the literal sense of that word and the spiritual sense. Funny that this happened for him while reading one of MacDonald's fantasy works and for me while reading one of his romances (me who generally doesn't read them!). This book made me examine myself as a reflection of Christ and showed me ways in which old idolatries still hang on.

And I'm still thinking of Alister and Ian as old friends, missing them now their story is ended, wishing there were a sequel (something like Adventures of Clanruadh in Canada; if I discovered this book existed, I really might cry tears of happiness).

EDIT: Clarifying, since this review also shows up on the page for the Michael Philips abridgment (The Highlander's Last Song), that my review is of the unabridged work. ( )